Railway coupler



Aug. 23, 1960 F. H. KAYLER 0 2,950,018

RAILWAY coUPLER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y Filed June 26, 1957 Aug. 23, 1960 F. H. KAYLER RAILWAY couPLER Filed June 26, 1957 2 Sheaeizs--SheeiI 2 Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 26, 1957, Ser. No. 668,127

12 Claims. (Cl. 213-159) My invention relates to an improvement of a well known type of tight lock industrial coupler described in detail in United States Patent No. 2,384,748, issued October 23, 1943, in the name of lEdmund P. Kinne.

My invention comprehends an improvement of the above mentioned coupler wherein an arrangement is described which will meet the requirements for shunting of l railway cars without couplers locking. The arrangement, as described, will make it possible to tell whether the coupler is ready to lock lor if it is held unlocked.

An object of my invention is to provide a very practical and simple operating arrangement for arailway coupler, such as above described.

A more specific object is to utilize a novel lever and cam arrangement for a. railway coupler wherein the cam is designed to unlock the coupler and still be maintained in proper operative alignment.

A further object is to provide an arrangement which will make it possible to tell whether the coupler is in locked or held unlocked position.

A still further object is to provide means whereby an operating rod, in combination with a bottom side pull lever, may be manipulated in such manner as to engage a seat on the coupler head in order to hold parts in an unlocked position until released manually by an operator.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front perspective View of the coupler embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a partly broken, side elevational View of the embodiment of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a top plan assembly View of the device shown in Figure l, a portion of the top wall of the coupler being broken away for purposes of illustration;

Figure 4 is a detail elevational View of the c'am shown vin Figures 3 and 5, and

Figure 5 is a sectional View of the device taken on line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Describing the structure in detail and referring to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, a coupler 2 normally disposed on a horizontal longitudinal axis X-X (Figure 3) comprises a coupler body 3, having a fragmentarily shown shank 4 of any suitable structure and a hollow funnelV shaped housing 6. Around the forward extremity of said housing 6 may be formed a generally vertical ange 8 which affords abutment with a mating coupler (not shown).

Projecting outwardly from approximately one-half of the forward extremity of the -housing 6 may be a tapered or pyramidal nose 10 having its base integrally formed with said housing adjacent its flange 8. Adjacent to the rear of the nose 10 may be an opening 11 in the nose V10 through which may project a lock 1-2 which is housed within said nose 10 and which is afforded a pivotal oonnection to the nose 10, as at 14, adjacent the forward end of the lock 12. As the nose 10 and lock 12 are shown to more adequately explain the cooperation of parts of my invention with the coupler 2, and as .the nose and lock are not per se part of my invention, they are not disclosed Patented Aug. 23, 1960 2 herein in detail, and a more detailed discussion of these parts will be found in U.S. Patent No. 2,384,748 which may be referred to, if desired, for additional description, this patent being incorporated herein by reference.

The coupler 2 includes a horizontally disposed unlocking cam 16`(Figures 3 and 4) pivotally connected as at 18 to coupler body 3. The pivotal connection 18 comprises a vertical pin bearing section 20 (Figures 4 and 5) for receiving a pin 20a in order to connect the cam 16 to the coupler body 3. The large vertical height of section 20 is provided in order to maintain cam alignment while the locking mechanism is in service. The cam 16 comprises a forwardly projecting arm or rib 21 (Figures 3 and 4) which slidably engages an unlocking arm 22 pivotally connected to lock 12. 'Ihe cam 16 aids in unlocking the coupler 2 by pushing the unlocking arm 22 outwardly against pressure of a spring 23 disposed on unlocking arm 22. Upon release of pressure by cam 16, spring 23 returns lock 12 to its locked position. Cam 16 also comprises a rearwardly projecting arm or rib 26 having a skirt section 28 which functions in combination with a rib in the coupler head (not shown) to act as a stop to limit rotation of the cam. This limit to rotation, in combination with the shape of arm 21', eliminates the possibility of arm 21 slipping past the face 24 of unlocking arm 22. Extending vertically from skirt 28 is a bearing surface 3G.

The surface 30 is adapted to be engaged by an upwardly projecting arm 32 (Figure 5) of a vertically disposed cam or lock operating lever 314. The lever 34 may be pivotally connected as by a pin 36 to coupler body 3. Walls 46 and 48 rnay be provided with bosses 38, disposed adjacent opposite sides of lever 34 at its fulcrum point, for. engagement with hub bearing portions 34a presented on opposite sides of lever 34 to minimize wear on the lever itself. The bosses also serve to guide the lever and afford a greater bearing area for supporting pin 36. The lever 34 has a lower depending arm 42 which comprises an eye 44, preferably located at the lower extremity of the arm 42.

As will be noted in Figures 2 and 5, a portion of upper arm 32 is disposed in housing 6. Pin connection 36 is located below the base or bottom of coupler 2 and the longitudinal axis of the pin connection 36 is disposed substantially parallel to the axis X--X. The pin 36 is located adjacent and below a slot 45 disposed in the base of the coupler 2; the upper arm 3-2 of lever 34 extending through slot 45 whereby upper arm 32 engages unlocking cam 16. The lower depending arm 42 extends below the base of coupler 2.

As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the coupler body 3 has a rear guide wall or rib 46 formed integrally with or which may be secured, as by welding, to the lower or outer surface of the base of the coupler body 3 and which is disposed rearwardly of the slot 45. The rear guide wall 46 is located behind the lower arm 42 of lever 34 and extends transversely of the coupler or perpendicularly to the axis X-X of the coupler 2. A front guide wall or rib 48 is formed integrally with or may be secured, as by welding, to the coupler body 3 and is disposed forwardly of the arm 42 of lever 34. lRib 48 is located in a spaced parallel plane located forwardly from rear guide wall 46. The lever 34 is pivotally connected by pin 36 to walls 46 and 48 and lever 34 operates between these two walls from coupler locked to unlocked position. As will be noted in Figures 3 and 5, front wall 48 is shorter in the direction extending transversely of the coupler 2 than rear wall 46 and has a face 50' adjacent lever 34 (Figure 2) which comprises a notch 52 disposed at the end of the wall adjacent lever 34. v

An operating rod 54 (Figlure 5) comprises a U-shaped end 56 which rotatably engages eye 44 of lever 34. An intermediate portion 58 of the rod 54 is formed integral with or may be secured in a convenient manner to the -U-shaped end 56 and vconnects the U-shaped end S6 to a handhold end 60 which is located at an end opposite from the U-shaped end 56. It will be noted that handhold 60 is formed in the same plane as U- shaped end 56 wherein U-shaped end S6 is preferably at or below the level of handhold 60. The handhold 60 comprises a handle 62 which is always pointed downwardly when the coupler 2 is in the operative or locked position. Any conventional rod support (not shown) may be used to support the outward end of 'rod 54.

Figure illustrates the coupler in locked position which is indicated by rod 54 shown in solid lines and with the U-shaped end 56 in a vertical position, The coupler is also illustrated in an unlocked position, wherein the operating rod is shown in phantom lines, and theU-shaped end 56 is engaged in notch 52.

In operation and in order to unlock coupler 2, the operator pulls rod 54 outwardly until the U-shaped end 56 is adjacent and outwardly of wall 48. When end 56 is outwardly of wall 48, the operator rotates rod 54 in a 90 counterclockwise direction and engages end 56 in notch 52 on wall 48. The notch 52I is located at the level of the eye 44 on lever 34 when the coupler 2 is in the unlocked position (Figure 3) and Ifrictionally prevents release of rod 54 from wall 48.

It should be noted that as rod 54 is pulled outwardly, lever 34 (Figure 5) is rotated in a clockwise direction with the result that arm 32 engages surface 30 on cam 16. Cam 16 (Figure 3) is rotated clockwise by the action of arm 32 and, consequently, cam 16 forces the unlocking arm 22 outwardly, pulling lock 12, to which it is attached, outwardly.

In order to return the coupler 2 to locked position, the operator reverses the operation of rod 54 wherein the coupler 2 is returned to normal operative or locked position.

It should be noted that lever 34 is preferably counterbalanced. The release of rod 54 from its engaged position with notch 52 permits lever 34 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about pin 36. The counter-balancing elect of lever 34 returns lever 34 to a position of disengagement with unlocking cam 16. Consequently, spring 23 need only be a conventional spring whereby spring 23 returns unlocking cam 16 and lock 12 to normal locked position.

It is apparent from Figure 3 that U-shaped end 56 of rod 54 points forward when the coupler 2 is in heldunlocked position. This is important from an operative standpoint as this relationship of parts indicates to an operator that the parts are held in an unlocked position.

The position of rod S4 is also important in that a longitudinal position of rod 54 may not be depended upon to indicate whether the coupler is locked or unlocked due to the fact that coupler 2 may be inclined to the right or left of center axis XX.

The notch 52 is provided in the front wall 48 only, and the rear wall 46 is made longer in a direction transversely of the coupler 2 so that the rod 56 cannot be turned in a clockwise direction from normal operating position. If it were possible to rotate the rod 56 in a clockwise direction, the handhold 62 would have to be turned 90 rearwardly towards the car end and would result in less convenience for grasping or striking downwardly handle 62 in order to remove the device from held-unlocked position.

The operator may also use this rigid one-piece rod 54 as a remote control means to move the coupler 2 in order to align it for coupling in case the coupler 2 should be out of gathering range. This will be possible whether the coupler parts are in position for normal locking or are held in unlocked position for free shunting.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the vexact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation, as various and otherA forms of the device will, of course, be

4 apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

l. In an automatic coupler, a locking means for said coupler, a cam comprising horizontally disposed arms, one of said cam arms being slidably engageable with said locking means, a lever vertically disposedl internally and externally of said coupler, said lever comprising vertically disposed arms, another of said cam arms being slidably engageable with one of said lever arms, another of said lever arms comprising a rod receiving eye, a slot in said coupler, said other lever arm extending through said slot and outside of said coupler, a pair of spaced ribs comprising a forward and a rearward wall, said forward and rearward wall being disposed forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of said lever, said lever being pivotally connected to said spaced ribs, a notch on said forward wall, an operating rod comprising a U-snaped end, said end engaging said eye on said lever, said rod being rotatable in a direction so as to engage the U- shaped end with the notch so as to maintain said locking means in a held-unlocked position.

2. A coupler according to claim l, wherein said forward wall is shorter than said rearward wall and said rod is limited to a counterclockwise rotation so as to engage said end with said notch.

3. In an automatic coupler, the combination of: a housing; a lock carried by the housing for engagement with a lock of a mating coupler to maintain the couples in coupled condition; spring means carried within the housing for engagement with the lock for urging the lock into locked position; a cam pivoted to the housing for engagement with the lock to move the lock to unlocked position; a lever pivoted to the housing for engagement with the cam; an operating rod connected to the lever for actuation of the latter by the former to move the cam and lock to unlocked position; said rod being engageable with a notch on the housing, when the rod is in a certain position, to retain the cam and lock in the unlocked position.

4. In an automatic coupler, the combination of: lock means; a cam having a pair of arms, one of said arms being engageable with said lock means; a lever having a pair of arms, one of said lever arms being engageable with the other of said cam arms; an operating rod having an offset end connected to the other of said lever arms, said rod being movable linearly to move the lock means from locked to unlocked position and being rotatable to engage said end in a notch presented by a wall of the coupler to positively retain said lock means in unlocked position.

5. In an automatic coupler, the combination of: a housing; lock means carried by the housing, spring means carried by the housing and urging the lock means into locked position, operating means engageable with the lock means for moving the latter to unlocked position, and retaining means for retaining the lock means in unlocked position, said operating means comprising a cam pivoted to the housing and having a pair of arms, one of said arms being engageable with said lock means, a lever pivoted to the housing and having a pair of arms, one of said lever arms being engageable with the other of the cam arms, and an operating rod connected to the other of said lever arms, said retaining means comprising a portion on the operating rod engageable with a `portion on the housing when the rod is rotated to a certain position to prevent movement of the rod, lever, cam and lock means to locked position.

6. An automatic coupler according to claim 5, wherein the rod portion includes a U-shaped end, and wherein the housing portion includes a wall prenting a notch therein for receiving said U-shaped end when the rod is withdrawn and rotated out of its normal operative position.

7. In an automatic coupler, the combination of: a

housing, lock means, means engageable with the lock means for urging said lock means into lock position, and means for moving said lock means from lock position to unlocked position, said moving means including a lever pivoted to the housing, a rotatable rod having a portion connected to the lever, said rod being mounted for axial movement between a pair of spaced walls of the housing, said walls being engageable with said portion to limit rotative movement thereof, said portion on the rod being receivable within a recess in one of said walls when the rod portion is moved outwardly from between said walls and is rotated.

8, A railway car coupler comprising a coupler body having upper and lower walls, a cam having a portion conned between said walls and having upper and lower arms connected to said portion and extending from opposite sides thereof between said walls, a pivot pin extending through aligned substantially vertical openings of said walls and portion, a lock pivoted to said body on a substantially vertical axis, an unlocking arm pivotally connected to the lock and having an end extending through an opening of the body, spring means sleeved on the unlocking arm and compressed against the body to urge the unlocking arm and lock to locked position, a lever pivoted to said body below said lower wall on a substantially horizontal axis, said lever having a portion above said last-mentioned axis engageable with said lower arm, the upper arm being engageable with said unlocking arm for urging the lock to unlocked position, and an operating rod pivotally connected to a portion of said lever below said last-mentioned axis.

9. A railway car coupler according to claim 8 wherein the rod and body have means releasably engaged in one rotative position of the rod for holding the lock in unlocked position.

10. In an automatic coupler, the combination of: a housing; a lock; an unlocking arm; spring means; a cam; a lock operating lever; and an operating rod; wherein said lock is pivotally secured at one end to said housing and is pivotally connected at the other end to said unlocking arm, said arm extending through a housing wall and being operatively engaged by said spring means urging the lock to the locking position, said cam pivotally secured to said housing and being slideably engageable with said arm, said lock operating lever pivotally secured between two substantially parallel spaced walls extending transversely of said coupler, said lever being slideably engageable at one end with said cam and being pivotally connected at the other end to said operating rod, said rod being rotatable about its longitudinal axis and being moveable linearly substantially parallel therewith, said rod having U-shaped end, said end being engageable in one rotatable rod position with one of said spaced walls and being moveable between said walls in another rotatatable rod position, whereby locking of said coupler to a mating coupler is prevented when said rod is in said inst-mentioned position thereof.

l1. In an automatic coupler the combination of: a lock pivotally mounted to said housing; an unlocking arm pivotally connected to said lock, said arm extending through said housing; spring means associated with said arm and being engageable with said housing urging said lock to locking position; a cam pivotally mounted to said housing and engageable with said arm; a pair of substantially parallel spaced walls integral with said housing extending transversely of the coupler; a lever pivotally mounted between said walls, said lever being engageable at one end thereof with said cam and being pivotally connected at the other end thereof with an operating rod, said operating rod extending substantially parallel with said walls, said rod being rotatable about its longitudinal axis and being moveable axially substantially parallel therewith, said rod engageable with a notch on one of said walls in a rotatable position, said rod clearing said one Wallin another rotatable position thereby accommodating axial movement adjacent to said wall, whereby the coupler is in a held-locked position when the rod is engaging said notch and is in a locking position when the rod is in said another position thereof. Y

12. In an automatic coupler for a railway car, the combination of a housing, locking means pivotally mounted to said housing, spring means interposed between said lock means and said housing for urging locking, an unlocking arm pivotally secured to said lock means, a cam pivotally mounted to said housing engaging said unlocking arm, a lever pivotally mounted to said housing engaging said cam, and an operating rod having pivotal engagement with said lever and extending transversely of said car to a side of said car, said rod having releasable engagement with spaced portions of said housing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 696,386 Willison Mar. 25, 1902 709,706 Groobey Sept. 23, 1902 735,262 Hutsell Aug. 4, 1903 991,449 Mickle May 2, 1911 2,271,770 Kinne Feb. 3, 1942 2,271,839 Kahler Feb. 3, 1942 2,382,232 Kinne et al. Aug. 14, 1945 2,384,748 Kinne et al. Sept. 11, 1945 

